A Secret
by GoldenRose29
Summary: When Sofia makes an offhanded comment to her mother, ghosts of the past begin to haunt Miranda. Will the queen come clean about her past? Can the family ever trust Miranda again? This secret will shake Sofia to her core and change life at Enchancia castle forever. (Collaboration with Sofia2017 planning)
1. Chapter 1

"I did the right thing! Why can't you just admit it?" Amber demanded, hands on her hips.

"Because _didn't_ do the right thing!" Sofia insisted, tears filling her blue eyes. "You humiliated me and ruined my life!"

"Why do you have to be like this?" Amber yelled and started walking out of Sofia's room. The blond princess swung open the ivory door and turned back to her little sister. "Trust me, I know what's best for you. I'm your big sister!"

"That doesn't mean you know more than me!" Sofia protested and Amber rolled her eyes.

Then the blond walked out of the room, muttering how she knew more than her younger sister. Sofia groaned and flopped onto her bed, fed up with her older sister. A soft knock sounded through the room and Miranda, Sofia's mother, entered the room. The woman had dark curly chestnut hair and a sea green dress on. Her queen crown sat atop her head and the woman held herself like royalty.

"Sofia?" Miranda called softly. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," the teen princess muttered and turned so she wasn't facing her mother.

"Did you and Amber have a fight?" Miranda asked and sat down next to Sofia. Her pale hand ran down her daughter's back. Sofia sighed and turned back to her mother.

"Yes," Sofia admitted, sad.

"Why?"

"Amber told Hugo that I had a crush on him and now I don't know what to do," the blue eyed princess admitted.

"Why did Amber do that?"

"She _said_ that I never would've told him anyways, so she did it for me."

"Amber was just trying to help," Miranda insisted.

"I guess," Sofia sighed.

"How did Hugo react when he found out about your crush?" Miranda wondered.

"I don't know, I haven't talked to him yet," Sofia replied.

"Well than maybe you should do that," her mother suggested. Sofia nodded and laid her head on a pillow.

"I guess so," Sofia murmured. "I just wish Amber wouldn't always play the 'big sister' card. For once, I wish I could be a big sister."

"Well, I have to go greet Lady Joy. She's visiting the castle today," Miranda told her and stood up, biting her lip nervously. Then she dashed out of the room, worry on her face. What Sofia had wished for resonated with the queen. Memories threatened to overwhelm the queen, but she pushed them away, rushing to greet the visiting noble.

Sofia walked into the parlor where James was sitting on one of the sofas. The blond prince was writing down a royal decree on a piece of parchment while he waited for her.

"James, you wanted to see me?" Sofia prompted as she sat down in a chair across from the couch the prince was sitting in. James looked up and sighed, rolling up his decree.

"Yes, Sofia, I did," he said. "This fight between you and Amber is ridiculous. I've decided to intervene."

"How so?" Sofia acted.

"I brought Hugo to talk to you," James said and Sofia leaped upwards.

"What?" she cried out as the black haired prince walked in. He had grown into a handsome young man, one of the most eligible bachelor in the world.

"Hello, Sofia," Hugo greeted and bowed low. Sofia took a deep breath and red crept into her cheeks. The princess curtsied in return while James snuck out of the room.

"How are you, Hugo?" Sofia whispered as Hugo took her hand and brushed a soft kiss against her knuckles. Even though it was a proper greeting, it sent shivers down her spine and spoke volumes.

"Sofia, can we skip the formalities?" Hugo requested, straightening.

"Of course," the princess replied and sunk into a couch. Hugo sat next to her.

"So, Amber told me you had a crush on me," he started. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Sofia breathed, worry and humiliation rolling through her. It was terrifying, admitting her true feelings to Hugo, but she needed to be honest in this moment.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," the dark haired prince responded. "Because I like you too."

"You do?" Sofia gasped, her blue eyes raising to meet Hugo's dark ones. They were glinting with a smile.

"Of course. I've liked you since we became ice dancing partners but I was just too nervous to say anything."

"Me too!" Sofia laughed. "From now on, let's just be honest with each other."

"Agreed," Hugo said and they shook on it. "May I go meet your father? I want to ask him for permission to court you."

"Court me?" Sofia repeated.

"We both like each other," Hugo explained. "Why not?"

"He's in his office," Sofia offered and stood up. "I can show you the way." And, together, the two royals left the room, unaware of that a queen was watching them through a keyhole, drowning in guilt and memories.

"Dad are you busy?" Sofia asked, walking into her father's office. It had rich mahogany walls and was filled with books. Roland sat behind a desk in a tall red velvet chair and glanced up as Hugo and Sofia entered. "Hugo and I need to talk to you. Please?"

"Have a seat, you two," Roland offered and gestured to the bench in front of the desk. Sofia sat but Hugo remained standing behind the princess.

"No, that is alright, King Roland," Hugo said. "If I may, I would like permission to court Princess Sofia, sir."

"Really?" Roland replied, twirling a quill between his fingers as he thought. The young royals stiffened in the silence as they waited for the king's verdict.

"Please, daddy," Sofia begged softly.

"I give you permission, Hugo," Roland said finally, smiling. The two grinned and breathed a sigh of relief. "You'll treat her with respect and be courteous, of course. I couldn't think of a better man to court my daughter."

"Thank you, sir," Hugo said and shook the king's hand. Sofia smiled and thanked her father, than the two royals left the king alone to his duties while they went to enjoy time together as an official courting couple.

Miranda was distant and forgetful as she led Lady Joy through the castle. The blond girl was Sofia's age, sixteen, and was here as a potential wife for James. But before the young prince met the woman, Miranda had agreed to show her around since it had been a while since Lady Joy had been to Enchacia's castle.

But now Miranda was regretting her decision to play tour guide. Her mind was elsewhere, caught up in memories, so much so that she almost got lost in her own home. It was a relief when they arrived at the tea room. James was already waiting for Lady Joy with a delicious spread behind him on the table. Miranda left the two young ones to their fun and locked herself in her room. She called for her maid, Violet, and had a bath. Then she nibbled on cheeses and bread, refusing to go to supper and face Sofia. That night Roland asked if she was ill. Miranda said she was just tired. But as she fell asleep memories began to pull her under, drowning the queen as sleep remained out of grasp.


	2. Chapter 2

Miranda's eyes closed and vibrant images of the past invaded her dreams.

" _Why can't you understand that what you are doing is wrong?" Miranda yelled. Edward, a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes staggered away from his wife._

" _I'm not doing nothing wrong!" Edward shouted back and smashed his empty beer bottle against the cupboards. "I can stop at any time!"_

" _But you won't!" Miranda cried, tears streaming down her face. "You won't stop, not even for your wife!"_

" _Shut up!" Edward hissed and staggered towards the door, intent on going out to the pub. But at that very moment a little girl with brown pigtails and glittering blue eyes walked into the home, her school books in her arms, a smile on her face. She beamed when she saw her father._

" _Daddy, guess what?" Sofia cried out, rushing into her home. The young girl was nine years old and full of light. "I got a perfect score on my math test!"_

" _Congratulations, sweetheart," Miranda replied and hurriedly wiped away her tears. Sofia pulled her test out of her bag and showed her father._

" _Can we pin it up on the pantry door?" she requested._

" _Why, so you can gloat?" Edward spat out, his hand on the doorknob. A bitter feeling had risen up in the man. He knew his daughter was better than him, smarter than him, but he hated to admit it._

" _No, daddy," Sofia responded and looked at the floor, ashamed._

" _Go to your room," Edward growled and shoved the little brunette towards the stairs. She tripped over a bucket and fell, smacking her head on the stone floor, and became unconscious. Miranda screamed and raced over to her daughter._

" _What have you done?" she demanded. Edward, horrified by what he had done, raced out of his house, going to get another drink at the pub. Miranda scooped up Sofia, a feat hard to do since her stomach was bulging with child, and took her to her room. Then Miranda checked her daughters head, saw no bleeding and went back downstairs to make dinner, leaving her daughter to sleep._

 _As Miranda cooked she began to think. Edward's drinking was getting out of hand. Now he had hurt Sofia. But she was almost ten. She was strong and could take his hits. However, the little baby Miranda would be delivering in a month couldn't. If Edward got drunk enough he could kill the baby. Miranda debated sending the two children away._

 _But Sofia was too old to be sent away. It would much too traumatizing to be left behind at this age. The baby, though, hadn't connected to Miranda yet. So, as the pregnant women placed the bread and cheese on the table, she decided that it would be in the baby's best interest to send it to the orphanage ten miles away, in the hopes that it would have a better life._

 _A month later Miranda birthed another daughter. Edward named her Madeline, after his mother. But, that night, Miranda snuck out of her house, walked ten miles, and delivered the baby to Miss. Sandy's Girls' Orphanage. Then Miranda creeped back home. She let Edward and Sofia think the child had died or been kidnapped. They mourned the child's death for weeks but eventually the feeling passed and life returned to what it had been. Sofia had her tenth birthday and the whole village was invited to celebrate. Things were looking up._

 _Then Edward fell in love with a women he met at the pub. Regretting his past and wanting to start again, Edward divorced Miranda and broke her heart. He left to another kingdom with his new wife and started again, opening his own pub until he slipped off the roof while he was repairing it when it was raining and died._

 _Miranda and Sofia were all alone. The women dug out her father's old tools and became a cobbler, teaching herself to make shoes. Soon she was the best in the village. Sofia forgot her past and moved on, opting to devote her whole time to her friends and mother._

 _Then King Roland called on Miranda for a new pair of shoes and the rest was history._

"Ah!" Miranda shouted and jumped awake. Roland tired over in his sleep. The queen placed her hand on her thumping heart, overcome with guilt and memories. She fell back into her bed, deciding something. Tomorrow she would go find Madeline, her lost daughter. And then Sofia would finally be a big sister.


	3. Chapter 3

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Roland was exhausted from a long night beforehand, James was reading a draft of a new tax reform, and Sofia was daydreaming about her new courtship with Hugo. But Miranda barely even noticed, too wrapped up in the possibilities of what would occur today when she went to find her lost daughter.

Afterward the children ran off to go about their daily duties. Miranda too began to leave but Roland stopped her.

"Something on your mind?" he asked. "You've been quiet all morning."

His wife took a deep breath. She hated keeping secrets from him but she wasn't ready to tell Roland yet.

"I'm heading out and you'll see when I get back," she promised, leaning down to kiss him quickly. "Just…have Baileywick get a room ready."

"Alright," Roland agreed, a little confused but trusting his wife. He knew she wouldn't keep something from him unless she needed to. So he let her walk out of the palace and went to find James to discuss the new tax reform, wondering about his wife.

Miranda had the coach park a few towns away so she wouldn't cause a huge fuss. Rather, she decided to take twenty minutes to walk through the forest to the next town over. It wasn't her home town, Dunwiddie, since she hadn't wanted her daughter to accidently find her. In this town, though there were lots of shops and apartments. It was close to being a city.

And there, right in town square between a shoe shop and a dress maker's workshop was a three story building made out of leaning wood. The orphanage.

The door was cracked open and Miranda could hear laughter coming from inside. She lifted her hand and knocked twice. Instantly, a perky blonde woman answered the door, the bags under eyes pronounced, her hair falling out of her bun, and her tan dress stained all over.

"Oh, hi," she gasped as a small three year old ran forward and clung to her leg. "Something I can do for you?"

"I'm looking for a girl. She should be about seven years old, red hair, green eyes," Miranda answered. "Her name is Matilda."

"And, uh, why are you looking for her?" the woman asked as she picked up the toddler. "Who are you, anyway? I haven't' seen you around town ever."

"I'm…her mother," Miranda answered.

The woman nearly dropped the child she was holding.

"Oh, uh….of course," she stuttered and opened the door wide. "Here, uh, come in. You can wait in my office and I'll get Matilda."

"Thank you," Miranda replied as she walked down the dark hall to the tiny office. There was a small desk and a tiny window that allowed the woman to watch the children outside playing in the yard.

She didn't have to wait long. Soon the door was opening and the blonde woman was leading a small red haired girl into the room. Her hair dangled around her shoulders and her green eyes were bright and shining. She was a little thin and her brown dress hung off her small frame since it was about a size too big. The skirt had a huge stain on the front but that was mostly hidden with a cream apron she had tied around her waist.

"Matilda," the woman told the little girl. "This nice woman has come to see you. Say hello."

"Hi," Matilda mumbled. "Who are you?"

Miranda glanced at the woman who nodded.

"I'm going to go now, Matilda," she said. "Be good."

"Bye Miss Lucy," the young girl replied as the door was shut.

"Matilda," Miranda started. "I'm…your mother."

The young girl sort of froze. Miranda wasn't even sure if she was breathing. Then her face broke out into a huge grin. She was suddenly jumping all over the room and giggling like mad.

"I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" she sang as she bounced around. "All the other kids told me I was _crazy_ but I knew you'd come back. You promised and you did!"

"Matilda, what are you…?"

"Your letter!" the child exclaimed and pulled out a faded sheet of paper from her apron's pocket. "It's the only thing I know how to read."

"My letter…." Miranda remembered writing that. She'd had just had her daughter and she'd written that by the light of the moon, fearing her husband would beat her if he found out she'd used a candle without his permission. She could still remember what it said.

 _Please, I know this strange but I need you to watch over my daughter. My life is not safe and if she stays with me she will be in great danger. I can't bear that so I'm handing her over to you. But I swear, if my life ever improves, I will come back for her._

 _Oh, and her name is Matilda, after my mother. I want her to have a piece of her family even though she must stay away from her safety._

"You said you'd come back," Matilda said again. "And you did!"

"So you are not mad?" Miranda wondered. Could she really be so lucky?

"Why would I be mad?" Matilda asked, genuinely confused. "You came back and now we can be a real family!"

The small girl suddenly leaped into Miranda's arms. The woman's heart swelled as she hugged a child she had thought she would never see again. And the best part was, she loved her. Even though Miranda had left her, Matilda loved her.

Now she just had to find out how to tell the rest of her family. And hope they forgave her as easy as her seven year old did.

"Matilda, please go get your things," Miranda said. "And don't forget to say goodbye to your little friends. I've got to talk to Miss Lucy for a bit."

"Okay," the little girl chirped. "Be right back."

Then she pranced out of the room, lighter than air it seemed, filled with unbelievable joy. Her mother had come back!

The blonde woman, Lucy, re-entered after she had left. "Matilda said you wanted to talk to me, Miss?"

"I just wanted you to know that I'm going to be taking Matilda back home with me," Miranda said as she stood. "I'm in a good spot now. She'll be well taken care of."

"I don't doubt it," she paused, "my Queen."

"Wha...How did?" Miranda stuttered.

"You may have covered yourself with a cloak but I have read a storybook about your royal romance to the children for _years,_ Queen Miranda," Lucy explained. "I would recognize your face anywhere. And I think Matilda will definitely be well taken care of."

"Thank you."

"Come," Lucy said, opening the door. "I'm sure Matilda is nearly done packing."

They walked through halls of the orphanage, passing rooms that were packed fill of children. But something wasn't right.

"Lucy...are these children...working?" Miranda gasped, noticing little children hunched over sewing machines or carpenter benches. "Is that why Matilda was wearing an apron too big for her? Because she's a worker?"

"So the kids work, big deal," Lucy huffed as she climb yet another set of stairs. "I barely get to spend any time with _my_ little girl girl Annie and Sandy left me here with the kids so I put theme to work. So what?"

"Sandy?"

"My ex-husband," Lucy admitted as they entered the hall where the children slept. It was wide and took up the entire third floor. Mattresses and leaning bedframes lined the walls. A few children, mainly the younger ones, were taking naps. But it was nearly empty expect for a little red-haired girl packing her things up in the corner. "We started this orphanage together and then one day he just left me. It's...a struggle to get by. So I put the kids to work to help make money."

"I've had my fair share of a bad marriage, Lucy," Miranda admitted. "My first one...was abusive. Which is why I sent Matilda to work here. If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to contact the palace."

"Thank you," Lucy replied, tears filling her eyes. Never before had anyone given her such a gift.

"So what have you been teaching the children?" Miranda asked as Matilda saw them and grinned. She had a little bag with a few items, her only possessions. But that didn't bother her now that she had her mother.

"Oh, they know how to cook, clean, sew. Some can carve wood and make things. A few know how to read and teach," Lucy replied, waving her hand. "Mainly I try to teach them anything that can help them later on. Most won't get adopted so they need to be prepared for real life."

"I understand."

"I'm ready now, Mommy," Matilda said as she approached, showing off a missing tooth in her smile.

"You said all your goodbyes?" Lucy asked.

"Yup," Matilda chirped with a sharp nod.

"Well, then, I guess you're all set," Miranda told her daughter. "Thank you, Miss Lucy."

"Of course."

"And please, don't ever hesitate to come to me for help," Miranda instructed before she hoisted up her daughter and headed out, taking little Matilda to her new life.


End file.
